The best gardening gloves
From elbow-length gauntlets for the rose bed to grippy gloves for potting up: the pairs that keep hands in one piece.
There’s no single perfect gardening glove: thorny pruning needs thick leather, while weeding and potting need grip and feel. Most keen gardeners end up with a pair of each.
What matters
- For roses and brambles, choose leather with a long cuff.
- For weeding and planting, latex-coated grip gloves give better feel.
- Check the sizing; loose gloves are clumsy.
- Multipacks mean there’s always a dry pair.
Photos are illustrative. We may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. How we pick · How this works.
Best overall
#1 of 5
9.3/10
SLARMOR Long Leather Gardening Gauntlets
£19.99 RRP
Elbow-length cowhide that laughs at roses, brambles and nettles. The pair to reach for when the pruning gets prickly.
- Cowhide leather
- Elbow-length cuffs
- Thorn and nettle proof
- Men’s and women’s sizes
What owners say: Genuinely thorn-proof, comfortable, and long enough to protect forearms.
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A closer look: Despite the heavy leather, the shaped thumb and fingers leave enough feel to grip loppers or tie in a climbing rose. After a wet session, let them dry slowly at room temperature rather than on a radiator, which keeps the cowhide supple. When buying as a gift, a snug size gives better control than a roomy one.
Best for: Roses, brambles and pyracantha
- Material
- Cowhide leather
- Thorn-proof
- Yes
- Cuff
- Elbow-length
- Pairs
- 1
Runner-up
#2 of 5
9.3/10
WZQH Leather Work Gloves
£ Under £15
Tough cowhide gloves for the jobs that shred garden gloves: brambles, logs, and even hot dishes off the barbecue.
- Split cowhide leather
- Cotton lining
- Reinforced palm
- Adjustable wrist
What owners say: Thorn-proof, heavy-duty and well insulated. Owners use them for everything from roses to log piles.
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A closer look: Tighten the wrist strap before clearing hedge cuttings or leaf litter so debris can’t drop inside. Split leather dries stiff after a soaking, so let wet gloves dry slowly at room temperature, away from the radiator, and flex them in your hands afterwards. Being heat resistant, they also cope with a wood stove door or tending a fire pit.
Best for: Heavy jobs: logs, rubble, the barbecue
- Material
- Split cowhide, cotton-lined
- Thorn-proof
- Yes
- Cuff
- Wrist, adjustable
- Pairs
- 1
#3 of 5
9.2/10
NickyPicky Thorn-Proof Gardening Gloves
£ Under £15
Tested on brambles, roses and blackthorn, yet flexible enough to feel what you’re holding. A favourite on allotments.
- Thick thorn-proof leather
- Flexible fingers
- Breathable
- Men’s and women’s sizes
What owners say: No thorns getting through, comfortable and up to heavy garden work.
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A closer look: Sizing needs a little care: measure across the palm in centimetres, compare it with the size chart, and follow the maker’s advice to go one size up. If they’re a surprise, check the size on the gardener’s current pair on the sly. They arrive in a gift box, so wrapping is as simple as it gets.
Best for: Thorny pruning where feel still matters (size up)
- Material
- Supple leather
- Thorn-proof
- Yes
- Cuff
- –
- Pairs
- 1, gift boxed
#4 of 5
9.0/10
DIY Doctor Thorn-Proof Leather Gardening Gloves
£10.99 RRP
Thick 3.5mm suede with a gauntlet-style cuff, so you can reach right into a hedge or rose bush.
- 3.5mm suede leather
- Extended gauntlet cuff
- Thorn and nettle proof
- Unisex
What owners say: Durable, protective and still flexible enough for fiddly jobs.
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A closer look: Before ordering, wrap a tape measure round the widest part of the palm: the single size covers palms of roughly 8–11 inches, which fits most adults but may feel roomy on very small hands. They earn their keep stacking logs and hauling firewood as well as pruning, and wet suede keeps its shape best if left to dry slowly, away from a radiator.
Best for: Reaching into hedges and nettles on a budget
- Material
- 3.5mm suede leather
- Thorn-proof
- Yes
- Cuff
- Extended, covers the forearm
- Pairs
- 1
Best budget
#5 of 5
9.0/10
PROGANDA Ultra-Grip Gardening Gloves (3 pairs)
£ Under £15
Three pairs of latex-coated grip gloves for weeding, potting and planting, so there’s always a dry pair by the back door.
- 3 pairs
- Crinkle latex grip
- Breathable back
- One size fits most
What owners say: Great value, comfortable without being stiff, and tough enough for building work too.
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A closer look: Each pair is a different colour, so they’re easy to share out: one for whoever does the weeding, one for the potting bench, one kept in the car for muddy jobs. The thin knitted liner leaves enough feel in the fingertips for pricking out seedlings, and they’re made to go through the wash again and again rather than being binned.
Best for: Weeding, planting and seed sowing
- Material
- Nylon with latex grip
- Thorn-proof
- No
- Cuff
- Wrist
- Pairs
- 3
How they compare
| Feature | #1SLARMOR gauntletsBest overall | #2WZQH work glovesRunner-up | #3NickyPicky | #4DIY Doctor | #5PROGANDA 3-packBest budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Price | £19.99 RRP | £ Under £15 | £ Under £15 | £10.99 RRP | £ Under £15 |
| Material | Cowhide leather | Split cowhide, cotton-lined | Supple leather | 3.5mm suede leather | Nylon with latex grip |
| Thorn-proof | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cuff | Elbow-length | Wrist, adjustable | – | Extended, covers the forearm | Wrist |
| Pairs | 1 | 1 | 1, gift boxed | 1 | 3 |
| Best for | Roses, brambles and pyracantha | Heavy jobs: logs, rubble, the barbecue | Thorny pruning where feel still matters (size up) | Reaching into hedges and nettles on a budget | Weeding, planting and seed sowing |
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